Marvel: I am Iron Man

Wakanda, the royal palace.

After listening to the report brought back by his son and General Okoye, the old King T'Chaka of Wakanda frowned and remained silent for a long time.

T'Challa quickly confirmed that he hadn't misremembered. They found the emblem—a grotesque skull with menacing octopus legs below. History books clearly stated that this emblem had been a tool of the fascist forces during World War II, and all history textbooks said that they should have perished with the end of the war.

"Hydra".

King Tchaka pronounced the name again and let out a long sigh of relief.

T'Challa hesitated for a moment: "Father. Shouldn't Hydra already be...?"

"That's probably true." Tchaka pondered for a moment, "but many things in the world are not always as simple as they seem."

The kings of Wakanda have all been Black Panthers with the physical abilities of super soldiers, and T'Chaka is no exception. Furthermore, as an aging king, he experienced far more in his youth than he tells his son.

For years, Wakanda has pretended to be a peaceful and backward country, but in reality, they have long been planting spies and informants in developed countries around the world.

In recent years, they have not only accelerated the development of science and technology, but have also been secretly paying close attention to the world situation since World War II.

When World War II ended and A.H.I.E.L.D. was established, the massive Hydra organization simply vanished along with the defeated nations... Looking back on those events years later, T'Chaka sometimes feels a little uneasy.

Although Germany was defeated in the war, Hydra, which was active after the war, also suffered a significant blow, but upon closer examination, it's hard to say that it was a devastating blow.

In particular, the organization's slogan is "Cut off one head and two will grow back".

If someone were to tell him now that Hydra had not been destroyed after World War II but had been lying in the shadows, gathering strength, T'Chaka would have every reason to believe it.

Looking back now, it's clear that Hydra possessed incredibly advanced technology during World War II. They had world-class scientists, some radical to the point of being insane, and were even capable of equipping Nazi soldiers with energy weapons back then.

Imagine if such an organization had survived in the shadows until today. Given their already world-leading technological foundation, and after another century of development, their technological level today would be...

King T'Chaka immediately thought of the armor described in his son's report, which allowed for perfect stealth and was equipped with energy weapons.

That makes perfect sense.

Like other Wakandas, T'Chaka believed that their vibranium technology was the best in the world, and that no other country had such advanced technology to build armor and energy cannons.

But if it's Hydra, which has been lurking for so long, then it's entirely possible.

"Father?"

Seeing that the king remained silent for a long time, T'Challa couldn't help but ask.

T'Chaka snapped out of his reverie and said, "Notify Wakanda's intelligence department, and make sure to relay this to our intelligence agents scattered across all countries and regions. The next key target of our investigation is an organization called 'Hydra'."

T'Challa looked surprised: "Father, does that mean that World War II organization called 'Hydra' really...?"

"I didn't say that. I just said anything is possible."

A gloomy look appeared in the old king's eyes.

"But if those fascist remnants were still alive today, and they attacked my son and stole vibranium, then Wakanda would consider this an act of war."

T'Challa and General Okoye exchanged a glance, then saluted each other.

General Okoye, head bowed, gripped his vibranium spear tightly in his right hand, and said firmly, "Anyone who dares to invade Wakanda will pay the price, Your Majesty."

...

...

"Achoo!"

In a secret outpost of unknown location, Alexander Pierce, the head of a Hydra division, sneezed loudly and then rubbed his slightly red nose.

A subordinate nearby hurriedly said, "Sir, you work day and night for the organization, but you must also take care of your health..."

To everyone's surprise, after this flattery, Pierce immediately glared at him: "If you bunch of good-for-nothings weren't so useless, would I have to handle everything myself?"

The man's flattery backfired; he quickly lowered his head and repeatedly agreed, not daring to say anything more.

Pierce rubbed the bridge of his nose; his eyes were dark, indicating he hadn't slept well for several days.

There was nothing I could do; I just couldn't sleep.

He just received a report today that another elite member of his Hydra branch has been exposed.

What was his name again... Ward?

I don't know. Pierce wasn't familiar with the person, only knowing that he was one of his subordinates.

Anyway, who knows where Nick Fury's dog nose sniffed out this time, and he suddenly had his men pin him down... and this is already the umpteenth time this has happened in recent days.

Pierce thought that Fury probably knew there was a mole in S.H.I.E.L.D. before, and might have occasionally suspected certain people, but even so, Fury never took any rash action.

Because he dared not.

Fury had no idea how big or large the problems were within the organization, nor could he be sure whose faction or group had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., let alone who the mole was.

Therefore, he could only continue to endure, gather clues and wait for an opportunity, and could not act rashly.

But now things seem to have suddenly changed, as if Nick Fury has suddenly grasped some trump card and suddenly becomes a completely different person with a sense of confidence.

Fury is now pressing hard, dragging out Hydra every few days, and a week ago he even took down an entire Hydra base—ostensibly a base disguised as SHIELD, but all the key personnel from top to bottom had long been replaced by Hydra.

Even Pearson, who had built a substantial fortune over many years, felt the pinch after such a blow. More importantly, he began to feel a sense of crisis, a feeling that Fury was suffocating him.

Pierce knew that a major battle was inevitable, and the day was drawing ever closer. Soon, their conflict would erupt completely, and ultimately only one of him and Fury could survive.

"Alright Nick, you've grown wings... so let's go."

Pierce looked grim and muttered to himself.

Anyway, he had already prepared for the worst—his identity might have been exposed to Fury, and that cunning one-eyed man might already be plotting against his old boss.

But Pierce had nothing to fear. He had watched Fury grow up, and he had personally handed the director's position to Fury. He felt he knew Fury's capabilities.

At worst, we can tear off the mask and fight head-on. Pierce has nothing to be afraid of.

Since things have already come to this point, can things really get any worse?